Morgan County, Utah, is the fourth healthiest community in America, according to the most recent annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report.
The rankings are compiled using scores from 10 categories of community health identified by the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics. U.S. News aggregated and weighted 89 metrics to come up with the score for each category, grading each county from zero to 100.
What makes Morgan County so healthy? Morgan County rates highest with a score of 100 in the equity category, which includes education, health, income and social equity, according to U.S. News’ methodology.
Morgan also scored high in community vitality, 89; economy, 82; and education, 81. Food and nutrition and housing each received a 76, population health a 75, and public safety was rated 67. Infrastructure and environment were the county’s lowest scores, with 65 and 62, respectively.
Why it matters: According to U.S. News, the rankings and supplemental reporting can be used to highlight best practices and identify trends to help drive policy and economic decisions.
“Our goal is to highlight best practices from communities that promote healthier living for their residents,” U.S. News writes on its frequently asked questions page. “The trove of data underlying the rankings also will serve as a rich resource for analysis and reporting.”
How other counties in Utah rank: Overall, 11 of Utah’s 29 counties made the top 500 — out of more than 3,000 total communities surveyed. Here is a list of where Utah ranks:
- Morgan County, fourth.
- Davis County, 32nd.
- Wasatch County, 81st.
- Summit County, 103rd.
- Utah County, 111th.
- Box Elder County, 255th.
- Salt Lake County, 360th.
- Washington County, 373rd.
- Cache County, 398th.
- Tooele County, 436th.
- Weber County, 497th.
Top 10 healthiest communities in America: Here is a list of the top-ranking communities in the nation:
- Los Alamos County, New Mexico.
- Falls Church city, Virginia.
- Douglas County, Colorado.
- Morgan County, Utah.
- Carver County, Minnesota.
- Sioux County, Iowa.
- Ozaukee County, Wisconsin.
- Hamilton County, Indiana.
- Broomfield County, Colorado.
- Delaware County, Ohio.